Britain has announced that the funeral for former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher will take place next Wednesday, April 17.

The government has said Thatcher would receive a ceremonial funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral with military honors - a step short of a state funeral - in accordance with the wishes of her family. It said a private cremation would follow later.

The former British prime minister died Monday at the age of 87 following a stroke. The outspoken Thatcher led the Conservative Party to three election victories from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British prime minister since the early 19th century.

U.S. President Barack Obama and other leaders around the world have have paying tribute to Thatcher, known was the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness.

Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013

Thatcher was a stern conservative who broke the power of British unions, eliminated many government subsidies and enabled a far greater role for private enterprise.

She led Britain through its 1982 war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, strongly opposed European integration and built a close "special relationship" with U.S. President Ronald Reagan that helped spur the downfall of Soviet communism.